Patch Picks: Top 5 Stories This Week

In Chicago, news happens fast, making it easy to miss something.

That's why we're giving you a refresher regarding the North Side's top stories during the past week or so. Look for this new feature on Patch every Saturday. 

Police said a group of "pimply faced" offenders attacked a Red Line rider last week who was trying to get one of them to stop vandalizing the train car.

The 26-year-old victim, who lives in Logan Square, told police that he was aboard the Red Line around 11:15 p.m. Jan. 25, heading toward its Belmont Avenue stop. In his car was a group of about 10 men between the ages of 18 and 21 years old who were drinking beer, the report said.

• Read the rest on Bucktown-Wicker Park Patch.

New Chateau Owners to Vacate Residents for Gut Rehab

Although officials still did not announce the new owners of Hotel Chateau on Tuesday, their lawyers did share plans to completely gut and rehab the facility.

Mitchell Asher—he's the lawyer representing the newly formed LLC behind the building’s buyers—told a judge during a hearing Tuesday that his clients have the funding to complete the renovation. However, that means residents will need to find somewhere else to live.

“This building will be completely gutted,” Asher said. “… It has to be vacated.”

• Read the full story on Lake View Patch.

Nike Training Club Comes to Armitage

Nike is now open in a Lincoln Park space once occupied by an international clothing store.

United Colors of Benetton closed up shop in November at 833 W. Armitage Ave. Despite its global success, the store wasn't resonating with local shoppers, Patch reported at the time.

An NTC decal—short for "Nike Training Club"—is now plastered to the window of the storefront, which officially opened for business Monday afternoon.

" ... The store (offers) a premium assortment of Nike footwear, apparel and accessories and have community-focused class and groups, more so than Niketown on Michigan Avenue," Racked Chicago reports.

• Read the full story on Lincoln Park Patch. 

Local Musician Fights Cancer with Benefit Concert

Four days after a clean scan, Dan Stock had multiple, softball-sized tumors in his lower body.

He began an aggressive radiation treatment, spending one week in the hospital and one week at home. That was about nine months ago. Now, there’s not much doctors can do, Stock said. 

“It’s a lot of day-to-day pain management,” he said. “But I’m certainly still on the positive train.” 

So positive, in fact, that during treatment at Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, he thought about giving back. Stock, 37, has been a producer and engineer at Uptown Recording since 2001. He’s also a singer and guitarist in the hard rock band Bruiser and plays almost every musical instrument a person can name. 

So he decided to use his connections to put on a concert that benefits the cancer center. 

• Read the full story on Lincoln Square Patch. 

Chamber Director Diagnosed With Brain Tumor

The executive director of the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce has been diagnosed with a Stage IV brain tumor.

Garrett FitzGerald announced his diagnosis this week, saying that doctors at Rush University Medical Center have determined its inoperable due to its location near a speech center in his brain. He is scheduled to begin what was described as "an extremely aggressive" six-week course of radiation and chemotherapy within the week, according to a notice sent around 1:30 p.m. Thursday by chamber representatives.

"It's a tough hand I've been dealt here," FitzGerald said, in a written statement. "But I'm going to fight this with everything I've got." He reports to be otherwise in very good health, which his doctors have told him will be very helpful during his treatment.

• Read the full story on North Center-Roscoe Village Patch. 

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